Garage Door stops and returns to original position

Question

Lately my garage door has been stopping when it gets about 2ft from the closed position and then returns to the original position. Nothing is blocking the sensors and the tracks don't seem to have any bends or anything that would prevent the door from moving freely. I also tried checking the cycle with the door disengaged (by pulling the emergency handle and letting the door sit in the closed position not connected to the chain), and the chain moves, stops, and returns at the same location as it does when the door is attached.

So, I assume it's something in the actual opening unit. I haven't tried to adjust the downward force yet, but I'll give that a try when I get home tonight. Don't think that's the issue though.

Has anyone had this issue before?

Answer 1

I have had this type behavior show up on one of my garage door openers. The problem has actually developed progressively over time. At this point I actually need to keep holding the close button down to get the door to close. (Opening works like normal). I did adjust the down pressure two different times and it helped for a short time but the closure problem continues to persist. Strangest thing is that the door will close normally on the coldest nights when the temperature has dipped down to less than 38F or so.

My conclusion is to replace the garage opener with a new one.

Answer 2

There are several possibilities. First, rule out the obvious stuff:

Watch the electric eye sensors as the door opens and closes - confirm that the sensors remain aligned (the led lights on both remain lit during garage door travel, typically yellow on one, and green on the other); if there is a loose wire or sensor, or if there is excessive vibration or misalignment, the beam may be temporarily broken, causing the door to return to go back up

Confirm that the rails are aligned and straight, the bolts holding them are tight, the wheels on the door sections are tracking smoothly along the rails when the door opens and closes, and the rails are adequately greased to prevent excessive friction or binding during travel; also, ensure there are no other potential obstructions in the way of the garage door mechanism

If you have springs along the upper rail sections (i.e., not a torsion spring set-up), ensure that the tension in the garage door springs on either side is even, and there is similar sag side to side when the door is open; as you observe from the inside, the door should lower evenly (side to side, and in a smooth motion) if the springs are evenly worn, and the spring tension is similar side to side

Confirm that the chain/cable tension on the garage door opener itself is set correctly (there is a certain amount of "sag" expected - check your owners manual for tolerances and how to adjust)

Finally, ensure the door return force limit isn't set too low (without standing directly under the door or otherwise causing injury, of course)

If all of the above checks out (sensors, rails, wheels, springs, all OK, door goes up and door evenly and smoothly, etc.), increasing the downward force slightly may resolve the issue.

In my experience, problems are often sensor-related or random obstructions (like the corner of a box or trash can getting the way of a garage door bracket). If the springs are worn or the tension is too low on one side, the door may close unevenly, causing the wheels to bind up in the rails or strike an obstruction in the rails (like a joint or bolt head).

Answer 3

I had this happen to one of my garage doors. The sensor "eyes" are attached to the rails. Over time the bottom of one of the rails worked itself a little loose and I found that the vibration of the door coming down would rattle the rail and disturb or misalign the sensor to the point that it would read an interruption and the door would reopen. I found other rails could be tightened as well. Tightened everything up, realigned the sensors and no problems since.

Answer 4

This is a symptom of the electric eye-beam not lining up. Before adjusting the torsion spring first test if the door already has enough force to close properly. Stand out side next to the open door, activate with the clicker to close, as the door travels past your waist grab the bottom and try to halt its' movement. If you are able to stop the door from closing with minimal effort the torsion spring should be adjusted. The next part to check is the limit switches, specifically the close limit switch. This should be on the chain rail between the motor and the door arm. It looks like a micro paddle switch. You'll need a DVM to test if it working properly. Last part to check with the door open push and hold the wall switch to see if the door will close completely. If it does close completely the sensor is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Answer 5

I had this same problem and it turned out to have nothing to do with the sensor. The nylon gear in the housing had stripped out and made the worm gear misaligned from the limit stops. It was easy to change and actually quieted the opener a bit. Ironically, this high-wear item that fits most garage door openers made in the last 30-years was not in-stock in any local store so I had to order it from Amazon.

Answer 6

I posted an answer on a similar question

Basically I determined that the wiring from the sensor to the circuit board was loose. I unscrewed and reconnected it.

Second I realized that the chain was vibrating a lot while opening/closing, which is what caused the loose wiring to flicker. I tightened the chain a bit (not too tight - it is supposed to sag a little bit) and straightened it since it was very slightly twisted.

Now the garage door closes and opens without any vibration, and the wiring is secure, so it has stopped reversing.